諺語 · a single proverb
三個臭皮匠，賽過諸葛亮
Simplified: 三个臭皮匠，赛过诸葛亮
What does 三個臭皮匠，賽過諸葛亮 (sān gè chòu pí jiàng sài guò zhū gě liàng) mean?
三個臭皮匠，賽過諸葛亮 (sān gè chòu pí jiàng sài guò zhū gě liàng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "three common cobblers surpass Zhuge Liang." In use it means: Three ordinary people pooling their ideas can outthink one genius. Collective intelligence, when genuinely pooled, beats individual brilliance. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Pig.
Literally: "three common cobblers surpass Zhuge Liang."
The reading
Zhuge Liang was the greatest strategist of his age. And three cobblers with a problem to solve will still find angles he missed. Not because they are smarter. Because there are three of them, and each one sees the problem from a slightly different bench. The genius works from one perspective. The group works from three. Three mediocre angles sometimes triangulate better than one brilliant one.
What kind of proverb it is
Source folk proverb 民間諺語; referenced widely in Chinese popular culture
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 三個臭皮匠，賽過諸葛亮 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 三個臭皮匠，賽過諸葛亮 (sān gè chòu pí jiàng sài guò zhū gě liàng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from folk proverb 民間諺語; referenced widely in Chinese popular culture. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 三個臭皮匠，賽過諸葛亮?
In Mandarin it is sān gè chòu pí jiàng sài guò zhū gě liàng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 三個臭皮匠，賽過諸葛亮 aloud in Mandarin.